Methods and systems for tracking an event of an externally controlled interface

• US 9,342,955 B2
• Filed: 03/24/2015
• Issued: 05/17/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Weber, Reid M., Little, William C., LeMay, Steven G., Marcu, Adrian R., Cockerille, Warner R. IV, Beaulieu, Nicole M., Gipp, David A., De Waal, Daniel, Manfredi, Vincent S., Bullard, Bryan, Iddings, Cara L., Schneider, Richard J., Russell, Glenn Keith, Graham, Jacob, Schlottmann, Gregory A., Rowe, Richard E., Williams, David C., Larsen, Kurt M., Yi, Jae Man, Petersen, Erik B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hylinski, Steven J
• Application Number:
  US14/667,244
• Publication Number:
  US 20150199876A1
• Time in Patent Office: 420 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3202 Hardware aspects of a gaming system, e.g. components, construction, architecture thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3211 Display means
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3223 Architectural aspects of a gaming system, e.g. internal configuration, master/slave, wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/323 wherein the player is informed, e.g. advertisements, odds, instructions
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3232 wherein the operator is informed
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3239 Tracking of individual players
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3244 Payment aspects of a gaming system, e.g. payment schemes, setting payout ratio, bonus or consolation prizes

Abstract

A method for tracking an event of an externally controlled interface (ECI) is described. The method includes generating the externally controlled interface independent of an outcome of a wager-based game regulated by a regulatory authority, and logging the event of the externally controlled interface.

Claims

1. A gaming system comprising:

a housing;

a plurality of input devices supported by the housing, said plurality of input devices including;

(i) an acceptor,

(ii) a validator, and

(iii) a cashout device;

at least one display device supported by the housing;

at least one processor; and

at least one memory device which stores a plurality of instructions which when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to operate with the at least one display device and the plurality of input devices to;

(a) if a physical item is received via the acceptor;

(i) identify, via the validator, the received physical item, and

(ii) establish a credit balance based, at least in part, on a monetary value associated with the received and identified physical item,

(b) cause a display of an event of a remote host controlled service window, said displayed event occurring independent of any outcomes of any wagering games,

(c) track the displayed event in association with a service window event log,

(d) after an interruption occurs;

(i) access the service window event log, and

(ii) redisplay, based on the access of the service window event log, the displayed event of the remote host controlled service window, wherein the interruption causes at least part of the displayed event of the remote host controlled service window to cease being displayed and the interruption occurs independent of any event occurring in association with a remote host, and

(e) if a cashout input is received via the cashout device, cause an initiation of any payout associated with the credit balance.

2. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein content associated with the remote host controlled service window is generated using a code that is executed separately from any code used to generate any outcomes of any wagering games.

3. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the service window event log includes a timestamp of the displayed event of the remote host controlled service window.

4. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to track a plurality of remote host controlled service window displayed events in association with the service window event log.

5. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the interruption causes the displayed event of the remote host controlled service window to cease being displayed.

6. A gaming system server comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory device which stores a plurality of instructions which when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to;

(a) cause a display of an event of a service window, said displayed event occurring independent of any outcomes of any wagering games associated with any credit balances that are increasable via;

(i) an acceptor of a physical item associated with a monetary value, and (ii) a validator configured to identify the physical item, and decreasable via a cashout device configured to receive an input to cause an initiation of a payout associated with the credit balance,

(b) track the displayed event in association with a service window event log, and

(c) after an interruption occurs;

(i) access the service window event log, and

(ii) redisplay, based on the access of the service window event log, the displayed event of the service window, wherein the interruption causes at least part of the displayed event of the service window to cease being displayed and the interruption occurs independent of any event occurring in association with the gaming system server.

7. The gaming system server of claim 6, wherein content associated with the service window is generated using a code that is executed separately from any code used to generate any outcomes of any wagering games.

8. The gaming system server of claim 6, wherein the service window event log includes a timestamp of the displayed event of the service window.

9. The gaming system server of claim 6, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to track a plurality of service window displayed events in association with the service window event log.

10. The gaming system server of claim 6, wherein the interruption causes the displayed event of the service window to cease being displayed.

11. A method of operating a gaming system, said method comprising:

(a) causing at least one display device to display an event of a remote host controlled service window, said displayed event occurring independent of any outcomes of any wagering games associated with any credit balances that are increasable via;

(i) an acceptor of a physical item associated with a monetary value, and (ii) a validator configured to identify the physical item, and decreasable via a cashout device configured to receive an input to cause an initiation of a payout associated with the credit balance,

(b) causing at least one processor to track the displayed event in association with a service window event log, and

(c) after an interruption occurs;

(i) causing the at least one processor to access the service window event log, and

(ii) causing the at least one display device to redisplay, based on the access of the service window event log, the displayed event of the remote host controlled service window, wherein the interruption causes at least part of the displayed event of the remote host controlled service window to cease being displayed and the interruption occurs independent of any event occurring in association with a remote host.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein content associated with the remote host controlled service window is generated using a code that is executed separately from any code used to generate any outcomes of any wagering games.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the service window event log includes a timestamp of the displayed event of the remote host controlled service window.

14. The method of claim 11, which includes causing the processor to track a plurality of remote host controlled service window displayed events in association with the service window event log.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the interruption causes the displayed event of the remote host controlled service window to cease being displayed.

16. The method of claim 11, which is provided through a data network.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the data network is an internet.